Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Archangel Michael's Descent
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Arriving in front of the temple, I couldn't hide my shock.
The demons with Leviathan's red skin were all torn to shreds and collapsed.
It was so gruesome that I couldn't even think it was the players' doing.
"No way."
I hurried toward the inside of the temple.
Though I thought it unlikely, Satan might have clashed big with the players.
Sizzle.
As I tried to enter, wondering what happened, my summons were blocked by the barrier.
[Only holy beings may enter.]
Even player-controlled undead can't enter? It was possible in the PC game version, why the change?
Then shouldn't a necromancer who uses dark powers be banned too?
'...Then the game wouldn't progress.'
Entering the temple, I looked around. I went to the promised spot by the stairs, but no players were there.
No signs of battle...
Clang!
Something dropped inside the temple. I ran at full speed.
It was as dark as a dungeon inside.
No one to maintain it, cobwebs everywhere, unidentified bones scattered on the ground.
'...Demons.'
Horns on their heads confirmed demons.
Deeper in, a damp smell. Cool breeze that didn't feel like hell.
Walking the corridor with tall pillars, the end came into view.
I stopped.
Entering there would start this round's main event, so I couldn't go alone.
"...Where did they go?"
I shouted loudly into the temple.
"Hey!"
My voice echoed.
Hey-! Hey--! Hey---!
No response.
No place to go, what happened? While thinking that,
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Someone tapped the wall with fingers.
"Hello."
Turning to the sly voice, there was Satan. Impressive stealth skills I hadn't noticed.
"Satan."
"Where's Leviathan? You came alone?"
"...Who knows. How did you enter? The barrier should block you."
He smirked annoyingly, flapped his wings, and landed.
"Well, since you won't answer my question, hard for me to answer."
"...I see."
"Huh? What do you see?"
"I know why everyone's gone. Your doing."
He laughed loudly.
Puhahaha!
"Kim Cheonjae, you mean your friends?"
"How do you know my name?"
"Oops, slipped."
He knows my name.
Not mind reading, so heard from other players.
I know he gained the 'Mirror Room' ability.
"Satan, want to make a deal?"
"...Deal?"
"Yeah. If you let my friends out of the Mirror Room, I'll grant one request you want."
"A request I want..."
The Mirror Room can't be interfered with from outside, except by the opener, Satan.
Two hypotheses now. First, all the players are trapped in the Mirror Room Satan set up.
And they're fighting his minions, the gargoyles.
Otherwise, the gargoyles would have surrounded the temple.
"Satan, the deal?"
"...What request can I make to you?"
"You think of it."
He flew right in my face.
"No matter how I think, can't let go of Michael's minions."
I swung my scythe to push him away.
Whoosh-.
"They are not Michael's minions."
"What?"
"If you don't believe me, check the temple. Everything Leviathan told you was lies."
Satan tilted his head.
"Lies?"
"Yeah. I made it up to deceive him."
"Heh heh..."
Satan snapped his fingers, smoke rose, and a thick book appeared. It looked just like the Book of the Lion, but a different color.
He swiped his index finger horizontally, and the pages flipped rapidly.
Thud.
I watched quietly. Satan pulling out that book, the Hell Codex, meant he was willing to deal with a player.
Satan hawked and spat,
Ptooey.
then said to me.
"Lying to the great demon called Leviathan, you've got guts."
"..."
"You fit hell well. I like you."
"Get to the point."
"...Let's deal. But no lies this time."
I nodded in agreement. He scribbled something on a sheet of white paper and flung it at me.
Whoosh-.
['Satan' offers a demon contract.]
The paper flying through the air lodged between my fingers. The contents were simple.
Betray Leviathan and help capture him. Lure him to a specific place for the plan.
I almost laughed but held it back.
Not knowing Leviathan's fate was a huge advantage for me.
"Your goal is to deal with Leviathan?"
"For now."
"Reason?"
"Traitor. Must eliminate threats to Lord Lucifer in advance."
A demon showing straight loyalty.
I signed the paper he'd handed me.
Sizzle. Sizzles.
"...Done?"
"You know what happens if you break the contract or lie?"
"Yeah. Soul annihilation, I know."
"Heh... Heard you're human, but your info level is unusual. Hard for non-demons to know."
"Well, in a way, I'm demon-like..."
I smiled, and he laughed along. He raised his palm above his head and shook it in a big circle.
Space warped and distorted. Like the Big Bang explosion in a space documentary.
Then crash! The Mirror Room walls shattered, revealing the other players.
-Gah!
-G-Gargoyles, you f*ckers!
-How did they enter the temple... Huh? What? The gargoyles suddenly vanished!
The Mirror Room shattered, and Satan vanished too. We'll fight again someday, but clashing with him before round seven even starts?
"...Phew."
Getting more interesting.
* * * * *
Ma Jeongwoo shook the blood off his face and said to me.
"Aw, sh*t!"
"You okay?"
"No! How the hell did gargoyles get inside the temple?"
I chuckled.
Then I explained everything so far. From meeting Leviathan to dealing with him, and even Satan's new ability.
The other players murmured after hearing my story.
One who looked like a druid stepped forward and spoke to me.
"Um, are you really a high-level player?"
"..."
I looked at Jeongwoo.
He nodded.
I'd already finished explaining.
I didn't deny it and introduced myself to him.
"Yes. I am."
Everyone looked amazed.
"R-Really?"
"Yes. Why?"
"No... Meeting someone I only saw in the game, it's an honor..."
"Huh? Honored to meet me..."
"You were our hero."
"..."
Hero.
I'm not one.
I just did what I wanted.
I waved my hands dismissively.
"I'm not a hero."
"Wow... So humble."
"...Anyway, any dead or seriously injured players?"
None in my sight.
Michael, Yoo Sora, and Kim Yeonhee looked spotless, not a speck of dust.
The druid in the robe approached my side, bowed his head slightly, and continued.
"No injured among our Chinese players."
I squinted past him. High chance that guy from China would be there, but he wasn't.
The martial arts master who represented China in round five.
'Wang Cheonma.'
Hasn't cleared round seven yet?
"...Got it."
Then a pale-skinned man came forward and said.
"No injured among our Vietnamese players."
"Vietnam? Are Vietnamese usually this pale?"
"I'm a German living in Vietnam."
Ah!
Like Michael, assigned by residence.
Then friends with black skin like Michael gathered by my side. Maybe because my favorite soccer player was from Ivory Coast, they felt so familiar.
"Hello."
"Hi."
"Our Korean players have no injured."
"...Korean?"
"Yes, Korea."
"We're Korean players too."
"Oh!"
Didn't expect that. Michael greeted him warmly. Both American nationals.
That guy USFK too? Now that I looked, he was built just like Michael.
Whatever.
All the players who made it here are game experts.
They can handle their own affairs.
'...Good.'
Still, players from the three kingdoms had gathered here.
Counting, about twenty per country.
Fewer than expected, but enough to run this round.
Once the Japanese players joined, all East Asia server players would be assembled.
'The end of the game is approaching.'
Jeongwoo, counting the players, asked me.
"Kim Cheonjae, shall we start?"
"Japanese players aren't here yet."
"...Let's start without the Japanese."
"No. To push to round ten in one go, we need the Japanese players too—"
Before I could finish, smoke burst from the ceiling with a bang! and a bandaged figure dropped down.
Thud!
Everyone's eyes locked on him.
Then men in samurai garb came running rapidly from outside the temple.
Thud thud thud thud.
Michael yelled at the sight of them.
"F*cking samurais!"
Hanjo raised one eyebrow and said to me.
"Long time no see."
"...Yeah."
"Late?"
"A bit. Why so late?"
"Met a weird guy on the way, got delayed."
"Weird guy?"
Hanjo showed me a broken horn. Shiny like a spear tip, familiar.
"Yeah, Satan, called the great demon of the north, attacked."
"...Satan?!"
He'd approached the Japanese players too, from what he said.
The reason was simple: an invitation to betray the other players and join him instead.
In exchange for great power.
I scratched my head.
Just in case.
A very small chance, but if Hanjo had joined him...
"...First, shall we start this game?"
Hanjo nodded.
* * * * *
The players moved to the end of the temple. Entering the room there, it was pitch black, couldn't see an inch ahead.
One player lit a torch, illuminating the surroundings.
Walls depicted demons and angels fighting.
Making the flame bigger revealed the whole room.
A vast space like the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum, filled with hundreds of frozen angel statues.
[Welcome to the Room of the Messenger.]
Everyone held their breath and passed between them, moving forward.
At the room's center was a massive angel statue with a flaming greatsword plunged into its abdomen.
The players gathered and gazed at the angel statue.
-Is that Raphael?
-Different from the game.
-Too scary looking, isn't it?
Too fierce a face for an angel.
Long eye corners, sharp nose tip pointed upward, mouth shut tight.
A snake-like face came to mind.
I stepped forward as the representative of all players.
Then I placed my hand on the sword's hilt and whispered softly.
"The opener has come."
Silence flowed.
Then the ground shook, and cracks began forming on the angel statue.
Crack. Cracks.
Bwoooong-.
An immense vibration like a gate opening filled the room.
Light poured down from the sky, white feathers filling the room.
Boom!
['Archangel Michael' descends upon the Burning Temple.]